Mariners Have Decision to Make After Bryce Miller Injury News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Charlie O'Keefe | Last updated Mar 8, 2026 5:07 PM ET

The Seattle Mariners have boasted one of the best pitching staffs in baseball in recent years, and their rotation of All-Star-level starters was instrumental in their playoff push to the American League Championship Series in 2025. Unfortunately, it has been a challenging spring for one of those key arms, Bryce Miller, who was shut down with left oblique inflammation after his first Spring Training start on February 26. But the Mariners received an encouraging update after he threw a bullpen session today, and now they must determine how to restructure their rotation if Miller is healthy by Opening Day.

Miller's aforementioned shutdown this spring opened up the fifth spot in the rotation for right-hander Emerson Hancock, but Seattle Sports' Shannon Drayer reported today that Miller was throwing a bullpen for the first time since his shutdown, and following the session added that it "went well" and that "[Miller] threw at 80% intensity" with plans for another bullpen a few days from now.

Injury notes from #Mariners camp. Victor Robles back in the lineup today at DH after missing 6 days with a sore shoulder.

Bryce Miller will throw a light session from the mound today for the first time since being sidelined with the oblique issue.
— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer) March 8, 2026

As encouraging as this news is, the Mariners now find themselves faced with a conundrum other teams would be envious of: if the 27-year-old Miller can ramp up enough to throw four to five innings by Opening Day, do they opt for a six-man rotation? Does Miller supplant Hancock's current place as the number five starter? Or do they place Miller on the IL and give him a couple more weeks to build his arm back up before bringing him into the fold?

Hancock, 26, was the sixth overall pick in the 2020 draft and was listed as the #31 prospect in all of baseball on MLB Pipeline's 2021 rankings. Years of injury struggles dropped his stock as a prospect, but he held his own with a 4.90 ERA in 90 major league innings pitched last season and is showing increased velocity numbers on his fastball this spring training.

With that in mind, if Miller is healthy a six-man rotation is likely the most appealing Opening Day option for the Mariners, because it would allow them to see what they have in Hancock while giving Miller (and the rest of their rotation) an extra day of rest between starts.

Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryce Miller (50)© Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Of course, the Mariners have every reason to be cautious with Miller. 2025 was a difficult season for the 27-year-old as he struggled to the tune of a 5.68 ERA across 90.1 innings in the regular season and missed most of June, July, and August with a bone spur in his right elbow.

He ended the season on a high note, however, giving up just two runs across two starts against the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS, showing flashes of the starting pitcher who posted a 2.94 ERA across 180.1 innings as a 25-year-old in 2024. Miller will be a key piece of the Mariners' rotation in 2026; the only question is what how that rotation will be structured when he joins it.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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